


Toe to Toe

by PurpleProse4



Category: Star Wars: Thrawn Series - Timothy Zahn (2017)
Genre: Constructive Criticism Welcome, Gen, My First Work in This Fandom, No Romance, Royal Academy life; Eli and Thrawn are students, my first a03 post, no violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:07:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25321387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurpleProse4/pseuds/PurpleProse4
Summary: Thrawn and Eli attend one of the Academy's earliest graduation balls, and Thrawn does battle by dancing. Takes place during the first book of the series, around chapter 6. UPDATE: On hiatus until I can figure out how to organize my school & leisure life, as well as delivering chapters on a regular basis in general. When this series resumes, I will update this summary again with another schedule.
Relationships: Thrawn | Mitth'raw'nuruodo & Eli Vanto
Comments: 5
Kudos: 6





	1. The Invitation

It was another late afternoon, near the end of Eli and Thrawn’s course completions. Their finishing dates coincided with the rest of the Academy’s, and they’d been allowed to attend the ceremony as a result. Eli suspected that this was some thin-veiled attempt at making them feel included in their classes, which did not work well in the slightest. Besides the exclusion he and Thrawn faced during their time in the Academy, there had recently been whispers of them wherever they went of awe and envy at their achievements. How could two outsiders, both not from within Coruscant, get some of the best grades from their class?  
  
Some people had even approached Thrawn, daring to ask this question-albeit without the “outsiders of Coruscant” part, though Eli knew they were all likely thinking of it. In any case, Thrawn's reply was the same: “Make sure you fully understand the material. If you do not, ask questions.” This simple but blunt response caused some fellow cadets to stomp away in a huff, grousing about how “it wasn’t fair” and that it was “easy for you to say”. Seeing his classmates admit defeat was Eli's favourite part of these exchanges; whether intentional or not, Thrawn had stood his ground, and in a way that didn't make him seem like a braggart. He found that commendable in its own right.

Thrawn and Eli's classes had been finished with high marks, were still awaiting grading, or still needed final exams taken on. Given the larger amount of downtime the two had, they found themselves working on the latter of these. They’d fallen silent inside their shared dorm, with Eli writing down the solutions to practice problems by his desk. A datapad for planetary economics sat to his left. Meanwhile, Thrawn viewed holofootage of a past Imperial Senate discussion. His eyes moved quickly, noticing what belied from the senators’ expressions. Their rectangular window flared an orange tint, glowing generously onto the room's wood flooring.

A few hours passed, and the telltale sound of knocks arose. Eli went to answer, opening the door widely. “Yes?”

Standing in front of him was a brow-furrowed mail worker. Late-afternoon light cast the same hued glow on their face, and they ducked away from it with their hat. The person appeared flushed, wiping sweat off their brow while digging into a bundle of black envelopes.

“This...is for...you two,” the drained Imperial mumbled. Being in Imperial service, mail workers had to deliver letters from every relative who, somehow, simmered in the nostalgia of paper. Their coverage also applied to formal notices, like the two glossy envelopes they eventually pulled out. Both were stamped with the Imperial seal and embossed in an elegant, geometric design.

“Well, thanks.” he said, and quickly added, “Try not to push yourself.” After the officer nodded, he shut the door.

Thrawn looked up from his datapad towards him. "Who was it?”

“Someone came to give us these.” He walked up to pass an envelope to Thrawn before sitting down on his bed. (Eli had wanted the lower bunk.) “Kinda weird, right?"

“I agree. Holocommunications are more widely used, are they not?”

“Always-it's pretty much a standard. My folks always call me with them, and I'm guessin' the Ascendancy does, too."

"In a way, indeed. Though their methods are more... _hi'binoran?_ "

Eli winced. "Advanced...ouch. I guess it makes sense, but ouch."

"It is only the truth."

They didn't say a word after that, working to break their seals. Eli got to his first, skimming the letter’s contents.

“We’re being invited to the _ball?_ “ He exclaimed incredulously. His eyebrows flew to his temples.

“Why are you surprised?” Thrawn asked. Hints of amusement were weaved in his voice.

Eli realized, then and there, that the Chiss had already predicted receiving the envelopes, and likely what the ball was at that. _Well, that's impressive,_ he thought, somewhat mystified.

The only time Thrawn could've learned about it was after classes, when students felt the most comfortable opening up about their true thoughts without the risk of punishment. Moreover, hardly anyone wanted to eat with Thrawn or Eli; the only students that asked to sit with them either wanted to ask one or the other person about something, or did so out of pity.

"...I didn't know you were so keen on hearin' about it." he finally said. "Why?"

"Normally, I am not-the affairs of other students do not concern me, as they are usually unnecessary to understand. However, this event seems... _brika'rin_.

He paused. "That doesn't have a direct translation," Eli admitted, "and the closest I can get is 'rich'. I'm pretty sure you meant to say 'prestigious', though."

"That will do. Yes, it seems prestigious in and out of itself. And what of the question I asked?"

"I’ve heard of others getting their invites already, so I thought they’d just not invite us. Well,” he conceded, “I guess they’ve learned or something.”

“We have proven that we should be invited,” he surmised.

“Yeah. So...are you going to this?”

“Is it necessary?”

“Not exactly. You technically don’t have to, but you can if you want. I’ve heard it’s the only party the Academy ever throws for students. Plus, people might think you’re too scared to mingle if you don’t go. It'll make you look more of an outsider." The word _"us"_ stuck to Eli's brain, and he forced himself to shove it out.

“Of course. I will attend, then, and enjoy a well-deserved rest.”

“Me too,” Eli agreed, “and we’ll need formal wear. Are you planning anything for yours?”

Thrawn nodded, then held the letter’s envelope by its seal, looking at Coruscant’s sunset. “I already have a suit in mind.” He glanced at the invitation, then turned towards Eli again, asking a final question: “Are you willing to arrive early?”


	2. Whatever Suits You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After receiving their invitations, the two begin and finish preparations for the ball.

Like anything the Empire offered, there were a few caveats in choosing to attend the ball. One of these, of course, was the dress code.

In direct contrast to its guidelines on uniform maintenance, the Empire largely let students wear whatever they wanted to the ball-the two rules were that the outfit had to be formal and that it couldn't contain any anti-Imperial symbols. Learning about all this was one of the few times Thrawn was taken aback, which made him all the more suspicious. Why, after all the rules and regulations in the Academy, would things suddenly relax when it came to formal wear?

Still, he decided to take full advantage of this and, the next day, found himself asking Eli if there was anywhere he could find scrap metal.

"...that's not the easiest thing to find, but it's possible," he explained. Aside from the pause before answering, Thrawn had noted a slight rise in eyebrows. Still, he'd continued. "Definitely easier to grab than extra class credits, anyways. We'll have to go to the shooting range. If you can catch someone cleaning up, ask for scrap machinery and broken droids. Whatever can't be fixed-"

"-is then usually discarded," Thrawn finished.

"Yeah, exactly." Eli nodded before looking away, inspecting his pistol.

"Thank you. Have you selected a suit yet?"

"Sort of-I've narrowed it to two of them. Why? Do you want to help me choose?" He joked, but stopped when Thrawn gave a nod. "You can't be serious."

"I am."

"And that would be because..." A few crinkles lined his face.

 _Exasperation?_ Thrawn asked himself. To Eli he explained, remaining plain, "The Empire is allowing for a great deal of freedom in wear. Therefore, you also have a great deal in freedom in expression, and I find it interesting to see how and why one does so. That being said, if you wish to select your attire on your own, you may."

"I mean...I don't have a problem with you helping me pick." His crinkles eased as he continued, admitting, "I just didn't think it mattered that much. Lysatra's a tiny grain compared to the rest of the galaxy...especially _here_ ," he added in a dour tone. "We both know that."

 _In a way, yes,_ Thrawn concluded, _but within the frame of resignation._ "That certainty holds very true. However, your planet is of significance, regardless. It is still...still... _inp’tyerat_."

Eli tone relaxed as he translated. "Meaningful." He looked back at Thrawn once more. "...thanks."

The smile Thrawn returned was more than a "you're welcome" could provide. "Which ones do you have?"

Eli gestured to his bunk, where two different outfits lay neatly. The first was a crepe suit in bold green, two brown rectangular cufflinks sitting beside the equally green tie. With a leaf pattern running crisscross on the jacket, it resembled tree foliage. A canvas-white polo shirt lay above the suit.

The other suit, yellow, held an impressive balance in saturation: not blindingly bright, but also not too dull. Small silk circles dotted the jacket and vest, bringing variety to the gabardine fabric; the tie was decorated in the same fashion. Its cufflinks were of accentuating white, shaped to be flowers-given the distinctive petal design, Thrawn assumed that they were native to Lysatra.

Thrawn took a long moment, weighing the options, before pointing at the yellow outfit. "This one."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am. Outer Rim worlds typically possess a fruitfulness that Core Worlds do not, and I believe the yellow suit reflects that more. Additionally, the green one resembles my own suit," he admitted.

"Oh, wow." A touch of levity passed through his tone. "All right, the yellow suit it is. Do y'mind waiting for me? I need to put the other one away.”

"Of course."

Aside from the rules on formal wear, the other caveat was a quick, two-day course in ballroom dancing. He was intrigued by the lessons; they were one of the few things that allowed a true glance at the Empire itself.

In other cultures Thrawn had studied, dancing-even for formal occasions-had fairly open-ended move sets built upon ground rules. Thus, they were strict, but allowed for some freedom. One could make a turn here or dip their partner there, but it wasn't always necessary. Imperial-mandated style of ballroom dancing directly contrasted this, being as restrictive as movement in their prisons: foot positions were carefully watched, and lifts were timed down to a given number of seconds. In spite of this, understanding the moves was fairly eye-opening. Not even in art form did the Imperials allow for much expression; precision was what mattered most to them.

Thrawn’s interest in studying Imperial ball dancing was partly why-although he had never participated in much festivity, even in the Ascendancy-he agreed to attend the event. He was curious to see how one’s attitude towards him affected their dancing-and how to use this, of course. But he also wanted to have a better perspective on the Imperial Palace’s architecture, and see if anything had changed since visiting the Emperor.

Eventually, the day of the ball arrived. After their classes, Thrawn and Eli prepared together for the occasion, each helping the other with the various aspects of their outfit. It'd been a while since Eli remembered how to knot a tie and put on cufflinks. As for Thrawn...

"Stars," Eli gaped, "this thing's kind of heavy. How'd you even carry it all the way to our dorm?"

"I wore it," Thrawn replied plainly.

He whistled. "Wow. No wonder you out took everyone in physical assessments. Okay, we're almost done-just hold up your arms so I can fit these sleeves through."

Thrawn nodded; while doing so, he heard the soft beep of a datapad.

"Our limo's almost here." Eli explained as he tugged on the suit.

"Ah." He pondered this before grabbing his cufflinks, fitting them to his jacket as he observed: "It's very efficient, considering the current peak hour traffic."

Thanks to Eli’s family constantly sending over credits, he’d chosen to rent a limousine with more luxury than one of Coruscant’s upper-level hotels. The money-technically meant to be used during his downtime-wasn't exorbitant, but it had been accumulating throughout these three months in Coruscant. In a way, he found it to be a silver lining to him being ostracized so much; apart from this and the suits, he hadn't had a reason to spend any of the credits.

"Yeah, you can pretty much buy efficiency in general if you've got the credits-though I'm guessing you already knew that." Eli eventually let out a satisfied exhale and stood up, grabbing his electronic and peering at it. "Did you get around to choosing a meal? The driver wants to make sure we can finish by the time we arrive."

"It is something I had noticed, yes. And I have: the basted fish from Alderaan, with meiloorun fruit salad...could Alderaanian grapes be added to the latter?”

"I have no idea, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask," Eli replied, fingers already typing away. "Not much of a sweet tooth, hunh?"

"No. Desserts were and are hardly something of interest to me.”

"That’s fair,” Eli concluded. They didn’t exactly have the time to enjoy them. “There's probably going to be tons of snacks to choose from, though-if there’s something I think you might like, I can tell you about it."

"I would appreciate that very much," Thrawn smiled as he stood up. "Shall we?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The "Stars" line was technically taken from Undertale fanfics-not a specific one, but it's a line I've seen used of fics there in general, and I thought that it would apply well towards the Star Wars universe.
> 
> Apologies for taking so long to update! Chapter updates will now be every Sunday at around 8:30 PM PST, unless indicated otherwise. Thank you for your patience!


	3. Complexity and Detail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eli finds himself analyzing both the limo ride and the palace.

At a glance, the airlimo exuded class and comfort. Whether it was just off the factory or not, Eli couldn't tell, and that’s how refined it looked.

That being said, most of the vehicle’s luxury was in the details, to which he couldn’t help but observe in wonder. Its windows were cleaned so well, they mirrored his face as he reached for the door handle. Inside the air-conditioned spacing, he sank into soft, padded cushions while a song-some top 40 hit still holding onto popularity-processed from the speakers with a newfound exuberance. Two small tables held his and Thrawn's meals, an artist's palette for the visual and olfactory senses. They were served on fine china and-he picked up a fork, feeling its weight push down on his hand-genuine silver.  
  
Judging by how Thrawn looked around after stepping in, Eli could tell that he was briefly enraptured in that same astonishment-or observing the limo’s features closely, too. After the Chiss managed to bring himself to sit, the driver informed them both that, yes, the grapes were available for an additional 750 credit fee.

"Here," Eli said while pulling out 900 credits, "and keep the change."

"Much appreciated, sir," they replied and, with that, the vehicle floated the sky and joined a nearby flow of traffic. One button push on their side, and a small compartment opened from Thrawn's table, revealing a small bowl filled with grapes. "Our estimated arrival time is one hour and 30 minutes, traffic in the Square permitting. In the meantime, please enjoy your meals, Cadets Eli and…” At first, their lips moved as they tried to process the word. Then they tried speaking it, hesitation throughout: “…Throan?”  
  
“Thrawn,” he supplied without emotion.  
  
“Oh- _Thrawn_. My apologies.” They shook their head while maneuvering the wheel, aiming to nudge towards a lane.  
  
“You are forgiven.”  
  
Eli stuck a spoon into the soup with one hand, his eyebrows drawing together slightly before he leaned back into his seat, sighing. Thrawn turned towards him, to which he supplied, “It’s not the food. I wrote down the pronunciation of your name on the passenger form.”

“Ah.” He made an incision on his plate. “Why did you assume I was wondering about your food?”  
  
“Because that’s what you always do. You like to take things in and understand ‘em, inside and out. I kinda figured the same would apply to that. Plus, I _had_ taken a sip of my soup beforehand.”  
  
“Those are both keen observations,” the Chiss commented, pleased.  
  
“Well, thanks." He took a sip of his soup before remarking, "It’s kinda hard _not_ to notice, honestly.”

"I suppose," was all Thrawn replied before returning to his meal, making more precise cuts to the fish.  
  
Eli did the same as well, alternating between his food-among other things, the soup had skinned meat, which had been seasoned well and was _delicious_ -and peering out at what he could tell, this driver was astoundingly suited at maneuvering through traffic; their finesse of weaving, quick detours, and even quicker stops was impressive. But no driver could navigate anywhere in the Core Square without delays, especially during knock-off times. _Good thing I booked for the earliest arrival time,_ he thought.

While the airlimo slowed in a busy lane, he took a glance at the Chiss, and-much to his lack of surprise-found him staring at the cityscape before them. Whether simply admiring the view, analyzing it, or both, Eli had no idea, but he couldn't blame Thrawn regardless. Like the afternoon of receiving their invitations, the sun pushed a glaring but dimming orange glow over their settings. It was cast in every windowpane of the buildings and the hood of cars passing by them.

“That Art Theory exam was hard, right?” is what he found himself asking instead. Thrawn’s insights were no doubt perceptive, but processing them could be exhausting at times.  
  
He remained silent for a moment, chewing on the fish (and likely the words) before responding. “It was very difficult. I found the last written question to be especially so.”

“You, too?” he gawked, recalling the 1000 word prompt and feeling more than happy that it was over. “I thought I was the only one who thought that-I left it ‘til the last minute ‘cause it was so hard. What’d you do?”  
  
“I wrote down all the key concepts, then divided them into three arguments. Afterward, I structured them based on how well they would transition from one argument to the other.”  
  
“Oh…I should’ve thought of that. I tried doin’ it like that, but I couldn’t put my thoughts together in time…it was a mess.”  
  
“It can be difficult, and while I doubt anything like this will ever be required in our service, I believe it would be best to prioritize those prompts before anything else.”  
  
“Don’t have to tell me that twice,” Eli quipped, dipping his spoon into the soup again. “And how’s the food?”  
  
“Rich and flavourful, as I expected it to be. I believe the expression is ‘worth every credit’.”  
  
“Good to hear. And yeah,” he agreed, “it is.”  
  
They continued eating their meals, only speaking every now and then to discuss menial things-weather, how to finish packing up their barracks, their favourite meals from the Academy’s cafeteria. Even when graduation was fast approaching, they still hardly spoke of the future. Unlike other cadets, they'd never swapped wishlists of ideal assignments, or what they'd do if ever placed at one planet or another. And sure, part of this could be chalked up to how this situation was as eccentric as it was; their friendship (which Eli refused to call it as-he would only begrudgingly admit it to himself after the ball) had stemmed from circumstance. Yet he also found himself contemplating what would happen after they both graduated. After cementing positions in their respective services, would they ever bother reaching out to one another? He decided to save this topic for a later time, however, keeping himself occupied with the general topics they both brought up. This was supposed to be an enjoyable night, and Eli didn't want to ruin that for himself.

As soon as they stepped out of the limousine, Thrawn’s eyes were set on the palace’s entrance. Grand but minimalistic, it did a good job at showing its power without flourish or flash. Patrons walked all around them, all dressed in formal work outfits, with most heading outside from the building. Others, passers-by who chose to glance at the building, regarded it in either admiration, envy, or terror.

Eli chose to glance elsewhere; he felt less tense since they visited last, but wanted to occupy himself. They were the first to arrive, with no one else there to snap pictures of themselves by the building and-thankfully-not be malicious towards them.

"Cadet Vanto?" Thrawn asked, making him snap out of his thoughts.

"Yes?" He found himself blurting out.

"What do you think of the palace's structure?"

Eli took one look at the walling and frowned. An aptitude for the arts was not his strongest suit, to put it mildly. He could memorize facts about artists, describe specific art techniques, name the prices at which their art sold for, and why...but when deducing the meaning behind a work was required, he was left drawing blanks. These troubles in art theory classes were partly why he was only ranked second in the Academy. That, and bias-teachers often graded Thrawn too harshly compared to other students, and no matter how the Chiss went about discussing it, Eli knew that he deserved to be in second place.

“…I don’t know.” He admitted. “I can't tell anything about the symbolism or meaning in it. Other than all the Imperial signage, and its height, the palace just seems blank to me.”

"Actually, your assumptions held correct,” Thrawn confirmed. "There is a lack of significant meanings to be gleaned here. In a way, it is completely sterile.”

"So whoever wanted to build this made sure to scrub the building clean." His eyes widened slightly, and he grimaced as the words sank in. "Well, kinda. Like purging all data from a terminal. They didn't want anyone to see what had happened before.”  
  
“Yes, exactly.”  
  
“All right. So, even when nothing’s there, that in itself can still mean somethin’.“ Eli said, already jumping to the conclusion he thought needed to be drawn. “Anything else?”  
  
He paused, studying the building once more. “The make of the building belies its intent in more than just the Imperial insignia. For instance, the wall’s stone is commonly found on Outer Rim planets, and its red pigment is likely harvested from pods on Dathomir.”  
  
“Okay, you're just contradictin' yourself,” he grumbled. “You just said that there was nothing to draw from the palace. Now you’re sayin’ that there _is?”_  
  
“No, there is not. However, the make of a structure can be as telling as what they choose-or choose _not_ to-represent.” He then turned to face him. "I would like to express my gratitude for inviting me. The airlimo was clearly expensive, and your effort in that respect is most valued."

“It’s not like I had a choice,” Eli admitted, visibly tense after saying those words. “Well, not in the begrudgin’ sense-I do need to help you out, obviously. The least I can do is pitch in and make sure you’re okay until we finish. Other than that, it helps that I’ve got the money to use, too.” He stopped talking for a moment, taking a final look at the structure-through a new point of view, Thrawn hoped-before asking, "Ready to go inside?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Future uploads will continue on Sundays, at 8:30 PM PST; this includes the next chapter, which will be uploaded on August 23. I'm so sorry for the late date and time at which this was posted and hope that this chapter makes up for those delays!


End file.
